Geranium plant named ‘Pachafvel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Pacharvel’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; large, single and bright red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pachafvel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pacharvel’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new large Ivy Geraniums with attractive flower coloration.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2001 of two proprietary selections of Pelargonium peltatum, not patented. The cultivar Pacharvel was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany since 2002 shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pacharvel’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pacharvel’ as a new cultivar and distinguish is from other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely basal branching habit.     -   4. Large, single and bright red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Pachex, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Pachex in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were not as vigorous as plants         of the cultivar Pachex.     -   2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Pachex.     -   3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had smaller flowers than         plants of the cultivar Pachex.     -   4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Pachex         differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pacharvel’ grown in a container. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Pacharvel’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Pacharvel have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown during the spring in containers in Dresden, Germany, and under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 20° C., night temperatures about 18° C. and light levels ranging from 15 to 100 kilolux. Plants used for the photographs and the description were about six months old and were pinched three times. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Pacharvel. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Pelargonium peltatum, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Pelargonium peltatum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 25 days             at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days             at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, close to 155D, in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading, trailing             and eventually cascading plant habit; uniformly mounded;             densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous growth habit. Freely             branching habit with about five lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 25 cm.         -   Plants height, to top of foliar plane.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 4 cm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent.             Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:             About 3 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Palmately-lobed. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate; closed. Margin: Lobed. Venation             pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Glabrous, rough; leathery. Color: Developing and fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A; venation, 146B.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B;             venation, 146C. Zonation pattern: More prominent on             developing leaves. Location of zone from margin: About             1.5 cm. Width of zone: About 2 cm. Color: 200B. Petiole:             Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Bright red-colored flowers; single             rotate flowers arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels             arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the             foliage on strong peduncles. Flowers face upright to             outwardly; flowers mostly flat. Flowers not persistent.             Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—About twelve flower umbels per plant             each umbel with about ten flower buds and open flowers.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             Germany, flowering is continuous from May until frost.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about six to ten             days on the plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on             the plant.         -   Umbel height.—About 5 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Color: 137D.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             2.7 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Darker than 45A; towards the             base, close to 155D; venation, 59A. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: 46C; towards the base, close to 155D;             venation, 59C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 146B.             Color, lower surface: 146C.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color:             137D.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3 cm.             Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About five to seven. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther             shape: Elongated. Anther color: 179B. Pollen amount:             Abundant. Pollen color: 167A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape:             Five-parted. Stigma color: 59A. Style length: About 1 mm.             Style color: 56D. Ovary color: 138D.         -   Seed.—Shape: Elliptic. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Color: Brownish. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy     Geraniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been     observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about     0° C. to about 35° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Pacharvel’, as herein illustrated and described. 